Rush, William

▪ American sculptor

born July 4, 1756, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

died January 17, 1833, Philadelphia

      sculptor and wood-carver who is considered the first significant American sculptor.

      Rush trained to make ornamental ship carvings and figureheads. During the American Revolution he served as an officer in Philadelphia's militia and campaigned with George Washington in the city's defense. Shortly after the end of the war he set up a shop in Philadelphia, and the figureheads he made there were eagerly sought by the American navy. In 1805, along with Charles Willson Peale (Peale, Charles Willson) and others, he helped found the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and he served for many years as a member of the Philadelphia city council. Rush was instrumental in building the Pennsylvania Academy's collection of plaster casts, which proved influential in his own artistic development.

      A number of his wood carvings are preserved in various Philadelphia institutions, among the most interesting of which are the allegorical figures Comedy and Tragedy (1808; Edwin Forrest Home), the Water Nymph and Bittern (1809; Fairmount Park), a statue of George Washington (1814; Independence Hall), and his vigorous self-portrait (c. 1822; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts). Few, if any, of his ship carvings and figureheads survive.

Additional Reading

Henri Marceau, William Rush, 1756–1833: The First Native American Sculptor (1937); William Rush: American Sculptor (1982), published by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

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